Should Raheem Sterling be worried about Leroy Sane?

His career hasn’t really taken off since his £49 million transfer from Liverpool, with a below average season failing to compliment his high transfer fee (Liverpool should certainly be happy with his fee!). With the recent arrival of Leroy Sane from Schalke 04, Sterling might find his opportunities limited in the new season under Pep Guardiola.

Let’s look at some statistics that support this claim.

Attacking Potential

In the 2015/16 season, Sane outscored Sterling with eight goals in 33 appearances compared to Sterling’s six in 31 appearances; three out of Sterling’s six goals however, came from a hattrick against Bournemouth. This statistic can be coupled with the fact that Sane managed to also register six assists compared to Sterling’s meagre two assists for the whole season.

When looking at the evidence and statistics behind the difference in the two players, (who notably played the same positions) it is clear to see that Sane overall managed to find himself in these goal scoring/creating opportunities more often than Sterling.

According to whoscored.com, Sane averaged 2.8 dribbles per game allowing him to register 2.1 shots per game while only losing the ball 1.8 times per game while in comparison Sterling only managed to amass 1.3 dribbles pergame with 1.7 shots per game and losing the ball 2.1 times per game. `

Defensive Duties

Interestingly enough, Sane also managed to rank better defensively than Sterling, averaging 1.8 tackles and 0.8 interceptions per game compared to Sterling’s 1.1 tackles and 0.5 interceptions per game, thus showing Sane’s greater intent on defending which could be seen as a major factor between the two players in the eyes on Guardiola.

Statistically, Leroy Sane out performed Sterling last season, and with the addition of Sane to the team and the added fact that both players play in similar wide or central attacking midfield positions, Sterling’s place in the team may not be secure as it seemed 12 months ago.